If I Were You
by xxwinterknightsxx
Summary: The monsters have achieved their freedom and are living peacefully among humans. Frisk has found happiness with their new friends, especially a certain pun-loving skeleton. However, not everyone is as accepting as Frisk, and they're about to find that there's more to fear than just monsters and flowers.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Hey everybody! Big fan of Undertale. I haven't done much writing these past few years, but I was itching to get this idea out on paper.** **Hope you all enjoy!**

 ***Post pacifist ending***

…..

CHAPTER 1

Laughter bounced off the cavern walls in a chorus of glee, echoing faintly into the distance.

"LOOK OUT BEEELLLllllooooowwwwwwwwww…..!"

The two children howled and cheered loudly as they shot down the hill at top speed, holding onto the sled for dear life. Frisk, who was busy manning the reigns, pulled the rope this way and that, causing the sled to zig zag sporadically down the hillside. The two children had been partaking in snow related activities for the past few hours and were red faced and numb from the cold, but that didn't matter, they were having far too much fun to notice.

Suddenly, the sled shuddered violently as they careened over a large branch half buried beneath the snow, causing it to nose dive and send its passengers flying.

Frisk's attempts to stay aboard were futile as the rope was wrench from their grasp. Monster Kid, without the use of hands to slow his momentum, went sailing overhead with a cry of surprise before crash landing several meters away.

The two children lay face down in the snow in varying levels of disarray for a few seconds before emerging in a fit of giggles. "That. Was. Awesome!" Cried the monster, kicking his feet excitedly. "Let's do it again!"

Frisk jumped to their feet and stumbled over to their companion, stifling laughter as they went. Grasping them by the scruff of their neck, Frisk yanked Monster Kid to his feet and quickly brushed off the snow covering his head and shoulders. Nodding encouragingly, the human scooped up the reigns to their sled and began the trek back up the hill, the monster following quickly behind.

As their laughs died down, the two settled into a comfortable silence.

Frisk had missed this.

"Ya know-" Monster Kid began. "This has been really fun. It stinks that you have to work all the time…"

The child trailed off, a look of sadness flashing briefly across his face. Frisk smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah, I've really missed you guys too, but I'll come back as often as I can." Monster Ambassador had turned out to be an extremely time consuming position as it turned out, especially as of late. It had been several months since monsters had achieved their freedom, and their presence was now known throughout the world. In the beginning there had been panic and shock, followed by confusion and fear. It had taken nearly all of Frisk's time to quell the heightened emotions on both sides and prevent another war. Fortunately, with the help of Asgore and Toriel, the three had worked tirelessly with leaders and political figures in order to calm the masses. Others had helped, of course, but the job seemed to be never ending.

Monster kid smiled sheepishly. "G-good! Now come on, I'll race you to the top!" And with that, the child darted up the hill, snow spraying in his wake. Frisk grinned mischievously and took off after him, dragging the sled along with them…

Before slowing to a sudden stop.

"MK? What's wrong?" The monster had frozen in place, giving Frisk the chance to catch up to him in a few strides. Coming up beside the yellow clad child, Frisk got a look at his expression and paled.

He looked…petrified.

Following his gaze, the human child peered into the distance before spying something on the hilltop opposite of them, closer to the ruins.

A figure.

It was hard to make out, but from what Frisk could tell, it seemed to be a person wrapped in heavy layers to shield them from Snowdin's bitter cold.

A period of silence hung in the air before Frisk interjected curiously. "Who's that?" Monster Kid didn't answer. Instead, he took a hesitant step backwards. "MK?"

"Don't you feel that?" He responded shakily.

"Feel what?"

The monster looked as though Frisk had lost their mind. "Something's not right. That person- I don't know, they just feel… _WRONG_. You're telling me you don't _feel_ that?"

Frisk looked back and forth between the two. Pressing their lips together in a tight line, they shrugged diplomatically. "It's probably a human wanting to check out the underground or meet some monsters. You know how it goes." Frisk tried to reassure him. "Who knows, they could end up being friendly." Turning from their companion, the human resumed their climb in the direction of the newcomer, lifting their arms in a way of greeting. "HELLLLOOOOO!" Frisk called. "WHAT BRINGS Y-"

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Monster Kid crashed into Frisk head first, sending the two sprawling to the ground. Normally such surprise attacks were exchanged between the two in a good natured fashion, but this had a sense of urgency that made the brunette bristle.

"If you're that concerned, then how about you stay here and I'll go see what they want?"

Monster Kid huffed indignantly. "No way! I can't let my friend face danger alone!"

Frisk considered a moment. "Well, they might be intimidated by meeting a monster for the first time. So what if I go introduce myself and then bring him over to meet you?" Perhaps the reason the stranger had yet to approach the two meant they anticipated danger? Frisk was use to all kinds of responses when it came to meeting monsters for the first time, and they had grown quite apt to making others feel at ease during introductions.

This did little to convince the monster. "I dunno….maybe we should head back?"

"And bring even more monsters? That's probably a bad idea." The last thing they needed was to give the poor guy a heart attack. "Don't worry, I'm human." Frisk reasoned confidently. "Even if they're intimidated by you guys, they shouldn't have a problem with me. And once they get to know how great you all are, they'll see there's nothing to fear!"

Monster Kid looked perplexed, but didn't seem to have a comeback to Frisk's logic. After a brief period of mulling over the idea, the monster finally relented. "Ok, I'll hang back. Just wave me over when you're ready, or call if you need help." He puffed out his chest and gave a triumphant grin. "For I, the GREAT MONSTER KID, will come and save you! Nyhehehe!" His laughed cracked and faded as he spared another side glance at the figure, his anxiety returning once more.

Frisk smiled warmly at their friend, they truly were fortunate to have such caring people in their life. They nodded, before turning and heading off in the direction of the figure, leaving the sled and monster behind.

Traversing the snowy plane took several minutes of plowing through the knee deep snow. Frisk had dressed warmly for the occasion, but the dampness clinging to their clothes significantly slowed their pace.

As they drew closer, Frisk resumed their friendly waving. "Hello! Welcome to the underground! Have you been here…be…fore?" Frisk trailed off. Upon closer inspection, the figure was most defiantly a human male. The man was tall and disheveled, shrouded in black from head to toe. But what had caused Frisk to slow to a halt was not the man's large build or odd choice of dress.

It was his eyes.

Pure, unadulterated distain blazed in the golden eyes of the man looming before Frisk. Gray hair and stubble, along with deep wrinkles under his eyes and mouth indicated the man had lived a long and difficult life. A large cloak and cowl covered the majority of his facial features, however his narrow eyes reflected a lifetime of bitterness.

Frisk slowly lowered their arm, the cheerfulness draining from their body in an instant. The child had never dreamed that so much anger could be conveyed with just a single look; the very air around the man was thick with bloodlust. Against all odds, it was possible his malice rivaled that of Chara's.

The man looked down at something in his gloved hand, studying it contemplatively, before slipping it into his pocket. Afterwards, the stranger turned back to Frisk and smiled, revealing dull and crooked teeth.

The two stood facing each other in perfect silence, several yards remaining between them. "So." The dark figure began. "You're…the monster ambassador." Not a question. A Statement. Frisk's eyes traveled down to the man's belt, where they saw a beautifully crafted and frighteningly cruel looking dagger. The realization must have shown in their eyes, for the man reached for the hilt, swiftly unsheathing the blade and holding it out. "You like it?"

Frisk didn't answer.

"You want it?"

Frisk edged backwards.

The man chuckled and tilted his head to the side, running his fingertip along the edge of the blade. "Well then…you can have it."

 _Run_.

The instinct was sudden and powerful, and before they even realized they were moving, Frisk had spun around and was dashing madly through the snow.

The stranger followed without hesitation, maintaining a dogged but measured pace. Running from him made Frisk feel like a wounded animal fleeing from a savage predator. The man's pursuit sent a rush of adrenaline through the human child, fueling their frantic retreat.

"FRISK?!" Monster Kid called from somewhere in the distance.

"RUN! RUN AWAY!" They screamed in response, too panicked to pinpoint their friend's exact location. "GET AWAY FROM HIM! RUN BACK TO THE SURFACE!" Frisk registered some sort of response in return, but was unable to make it out over the sound of their own rapid breathing and frantic heartbeat.

Frisk gave an internal cry of dismay when they realized they were heading deeper into the forest instead of toward the exit. Unfortunately, the man's larger strides and rapid pace made it impossible for the 10 year old to loop back around to the ruins without getting caught. So Frisk persevered, sprinting as fast as their legs would carry them.

The head start was helpful, but would not last long at the rate the two were going. What was knee deep snow to Frisk was only up to the stranger's shins, allowing him to more easily navigate the snowy terrain. He was going to catch up at this rate. Terror surged through Frisk's whole body, driving them onward.

And that's when they saw it. A glimpse of bright red at the top of the hill.

Without a second thought, Frisk threw themselves into the sled and barreled down the hill at a breakneck pace. The wind, which had been invigorating only a few minutes ago, tore angrily at their jacket and whistled ominously. But the getaway had been effective, creating a large gap between Frisk and their pursuer. Feeling a momentary surge of triumph, Frisk leaped from the now stationary sled and bolted deeper into the forest, intent on losing the man in the woods.

…

The chase dragged on and on.

 _I don't understand!_ Frisk thought despairingly. _What does this guy want?_ It would have made sense for the human to lash out at the monster (unfortunately this was a common reaction), but the man did not seem even vaguely interested in the monster child and had instead pursued Frisk. They'd even identified them by their official title.

It had been at least fifteen minutes since they'd last caught sight of their pursuer. While the footprints Frisk left if the snow prevented them from effectively losing him, perhaps they had managed to out distance him? Stopping was out of the question, but perhaps they had enough time to risk a quick phone call…

And then, Frisk felt it. The feeling of "wrongness" that Monster Kid had described, crashing over them like a tsunami.

An ominous hiss and crackling filled the air, similar to the sound of electricity raging freely through a conductor. The space around them began to vibrate, distorting the image before Frisk's eyes. Never had they been filled with so much terror as they spared a quick glance over their shoulder.

The tree just to the child's left exploded in a burst of splinters, cracking so loud it sounded as though the underground itself was collapsing. A sharp and sudden pain flared through Frisk's shoulder and hip, sending them sprawling to the ground.

They clutched their side instinctively. Jagged bits of wood and bark were embedded in their upper arm and thigh. The site was so grizzly, Frisk had to look away to keep from becoming sick. Blood seeped between their fingers as well as down their face from a gash on their cheek. Disoriented, the human managed to regain their footing and staggered forward. To remain still was death; they had to keep moving.

They had to stay determined.

...

 **And that's chapter 1! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! :)**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

If there was one thing Sans disliked doing, it was running.

Too much effort. The amount of energy required to complete such a task far exceeded any potential benefit. Frankly speaking, he failed to grasp that some humans did it for fun. But then again, monsters were comprised mainly of magic as opposed to physical matter, therefore their bodies didn't change or "bulk up" with such activities. No amount of laps or push ups would alter a monster's appearance, the only way to improve their capabilities was through rigorous training in the arts of magic (or science, as Sans had discovered).

In other words, running was really a moot point.

Sans was more of a stroller. He enjoyed leisurely walks in between his leisurely naps. Much more gratifying in his opinion. And he'd been on one such walk when Frisk had informed him that they were going back to Snowdin with Monster Kid for an afternoon of snow-filled fun.

Following the destruction of the barrier, the majority of monsters had chosen to congregate near the base of Mt. Ebott instead of venturing recklessly into the human world. Better to ease in slowly, Sans supposed. However, occasional trips were made back into the underground to secure certain belongings that had been left behind as well as enjoying certain perks, such as snow in the middle of July.

With a smile and a wave, the two had sprinted off toward the peak of the mountain, eagerly anticipating their snowball fights and sledding shenanigans. Sans had smiled and wished them well (politely declining Frisk's offer to join), stating he might pop in on them later. And true to his word, later that afternoon Sans had made his way to the top of the mountain, intent on finding the pair and briefly joining in on their fun.

So when Monster Kid had run screaming from the mountain without Frisk, Sans had been understandably concerned.

The child had been so frantic that they ran headlong into the skeleton, knocking them both to the ground. Surprised, Sans had prepared a good-natured pun in response, but was quickly cut off by the child's frantic explanation.

"There's a m-man chasing Frisk!" He'd cried desperately, tears streaming from his eyes. "I di-didn't mean to leave them b-behind! But they ran so fast, I couldn't keep up! And I t-thought- I j-just-" His breath came out rapid and shallow, indicating he'd been running very hard for a long while.

Sans' eyes went black with foreboding. "…Ok kid, ok. I think I get the gist. Leave it to me, I'll check it out." He considered a moment before making a split second decision. "In the meantime, why don't you go grab Undyne." All too eager to comply, Monster Kid (or MK, as Frisk had taken to calling him) leaped to his feet and scurried down the mountainside toward the village.

Quickly utilizing a series of shortcuts to navigate the underground, Sans arrived in Snowdin a few minutes later. He scanned the abandoned town with unwavering precision. The air was heavy, and the silence was deafening. Upon quick inspection of the town, Sans concluded that the two children had not come this far, but instead had chosen to play somewhere between the town and the ruins. So Sans backtracked, scanning the snow for footprints to indicate where the two might have gone.

 _Something feels wrong_. Sans thought, quickening his pace. _Something_ literally _feels wrong_. And yet he could not say what exactly it was. The monster continued to increase the distance between him and the town, in a few minutes he would be reaching his sentry station. The territory was familiar, and yet he just couldn't shake this feeling of dread.

The gentle thrumming of his soul quickened ever so slightly, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. "Frisk?" He called.

Nothing.

"FRISK?" He called again, his voice rising in urgency.

Sans stopped.

Before him lay something that filled him with a mixture of relief and dismay.

Footprints.

The skeleton's throat tightened. The two had veered off the path and continued further into the forest outside of Snowdin. Quietly, Sans turned his head and paced around to get a closer look at the tracks. On the ground were the small shoe prints belonging to Frisk and the tiny clawed toes indicative of Monster Kid…

…and large boot prints.

Sans stared wordlessly at the foreign tracks, which lay directly over the pair of smaller footprints. The shoe pattern wasn't familiar, but then again, Sans didn't go around assessing peoples' footwear.

Just then, a crack of thunder louder than Sans had ever heard pierced the silence. Shocked, the skeleton staggered backwards and searched the sky in between the branches to locate the source of the sound.

And that's when the screaming began.

Desperate cries of fear rang in the distance, echoing off the trees and creating the illusion of a medley of terror.

Something welled up inside Sans; something primal and angry. Something, somewhere was hurting Frisk.

That something was about to have a bad time.

Sans ran.

…..

The second blast hit Frisk square in the back, sending them careening over the upcoming hill head over heels. In a tangle of limbs and snow, they tumbled wildly downward. Frisk cried out in agony; the pain in their back was blinding, and their limbs felt as though a million volts were coursing through their veins. The smell of burning flesh and smoldering fabric filled Frisk's nostrils, further cementing the fear and overwhelming panic they'd felt previously.

After what felt like an eternity of spinning and plummeting painfully down into the snowy gorge, Frisk felt the ground level out beneath them, and slowly slid to a halt.

For a long while they remained drawn into the fetal position, tremors wracking their body in wave after painful wave. _It hurts!_ Frisk cried internally. _It hurts!_ They wrapped their arms protectively around themselves, too shocked to even think about moving. _He's going to kill me. He's really going to kill me!_ And this time Frisk had no reset button to save them.

Once Frisk had emerged from the underground victorious, the months had flown by, and the need to use the load button had grown less and less. Likewise, they had finally decided to let time move forward, so the restart button had become pointless. Until one day, Frisk realized that they no longer had the power to utilize their determination to alter time. Which made sense, seeing as they'd never had such power on the surface prior to falling underground. It was only natural that their determination would ebb now that their life and the lives of their friends were no longer in danger.

Frisk released one of their hands and held it out weakly before them, still trembling in fear and pain. _I want to live._ The thought burned in its intensity. _I don't want to die!_ Gritting their teeth painfully, the child willed the menu to appear with all their might. _I need to go back, I HAVE to go back!_ A load would send them back several weeks, but if it meant avoiding death…

Neither the reset nor load options appeared.

The sound of approaching footsteps crunching through the snow filled the youth with a fresh wave of dread. Slowly, they looked over their shoulder, staring up at the relentless attacker with pleading eyes. "D-don't…don't d-do this…" Frisk stammered.

The man said nothing. The only outward response indicating he'd even heard the child's appeal was a displeased scowl. Raising a gloved hand, the air once again crackled to life with the snapping and popping of energy, blazing painfully bright.

"P-please…" They tried again, their eyes welling up with tears at the futility of their request for mercy.

The man's voice was low and gravely, cold and cruel as his eyes. "You brought this on yourself." He slammed his clawed hand down, letting loose another devastating flash of lightening that seemed to set the world on fire.

And yet…nothing.

Frisk had been prepared for pain, been prepared for death. But what they had not been prepared for was a sudden lifting sensation followed by the familiar feeling of "jumping."

"Hey Kid." Came a low, familiar voice. "That was a close one."

...

 **Another chapter done! I'd really love to hear what everyone thought if you'd like to write a review!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The scene unfolding before his eyes had left Sans ice cold. After following the three sets of tracks for an agonizing amount of time, the skeleton had burst into a clearing just in time to see a figure in black unleash what appeared to be a bolt of lightning from their palm. The energy tore across his field of vision like a knife. _Magician_. He thought, stunned. He'd only heard stories of their existence.

Sans' soul plummeted as he watched the attack strike the child from behind, sending them crashing to the ground in a motionless heap.

Rage blazed in the skeleton's soul once more, so intense that his chest physically burned. It didn't occur to Sans to be afraid for his own life as he took off towards Frisk. His HP had shown modest improvement since their escape to the surface, but a human with enough hatred fueling them would still have the capacity to deal him a fatal blow in one shot.

So with no time to consider alternative options, the skeleton charged the pair, left eye blazing his signature electric blue.

The moment Sans was in range he reached out and took hold of his friend's soul, summoning it forth and inflicting it with his blue magic. Darting past the stranger and utilizing all his strength to tow the kid backwards along with him, the monster leaped into a nearby rift. Sans wasn't sure where that particular shortcut would take them, but as long as it took them away from the immediate area, he couldn't care less.

...

For a few seconds Frisk remained suspended in air, before dropping into the outstretched arms of their rescuer. The tiny heart representing the child's soul returned to its standard shade of red. "Hey Kid. That was a close one."

Frisk turned to look up at the monster. "…Sans." Their voice came out as a hoarse whisper, strained by pain, fatigue, and fear.

The skeleton's expression turned bleak, his eyes going dark as he took in the extent of Frisk's injuries. "Ah Frisk, buddy…" He lamented softly. "What'd that guy do to ya?"

San's soul cried out in sorrow at the sight of the child. Miscellaneous cuts and scratches covered their face and hands, blood leaked from an array of splinters littering the left side of their body. But most worrisome was the horrific burn between their shoulder blades. The scorch mark was large and angry, a mixture of pink and red flesh bubbling around the perimeter of the wound. A hole the size of a basketball had been carved out of Frisk's favorite sweater, likely incinerated by the onslaught of magic.

Sans heaved a sigh, heavy with regret. "Sorry Kid." He said, clutching their body closer to his chest. "Shoulda gotten here sooner." And with that, Sans turned and hastily made his way back to the ruins.

Unfortunately the shortcut Sans had utilized was not one he was familiar with, so the pair had ended up deeper in the woods. Sans' power to teleport was not without its limits. He could not teleport at will, like Frisk had originally believed. Instead, he'd remained adamant that his shortcuts were just that, shortcuts. Rifts in the fabric of space that would take him to specific locations. The underground was full of them, thus it'd only taken trial and error to determine where specific rifts would go. However, over the years Sans had stuck to the same shortcuts to travel to his usual destinations. There'd been little need for him to navigate Snowdin's deep forests, and so he hadn't. This left him clueless as to where the rifts around him would go, not that there were a whole lot to choose from.

"Don't worry, I'll get ya outta here." He panted. Sans had really cut it close back there, if it hadn't been for Monster Kid's warning...

The thought made him shudder.

But Sans was nothing if not level headed. The task, though far from easy, was simple. He merely needed to head back toward Snowdin and access the first familiar shortcut he came across. Afterwards it would be a simple matter of jumping from rift to rift; they would reach the surface in a matter of minutes.

Sans always forgot how small the kid was. The way they carried themselves, you'd think they were ten feet tall, so seeing them so broken and weak felt wrong. As the skeleton continued to jog through the forest, scanning for any signs of their pursuer, he registered the feeling of dampness on his chest. Looking down, he saw that his favorite blue jacket was stained with his friend's blood.

 **...Flashback...**

 _"Ouch!"_

 _Sans looked up from the book he was reading on the couch, peering into the kitchen where Frisk had been sitting doing their homework. "What'sa matter, kid?" He called nonchalantly._

 _"I got a papercut." Frisk pouted, putting pressure on their thumb. The skeleton watched for a minute or two as the kiddo made their way to and from the bathroom, before approaching him with a band aid in hand. "Can you put this on for me?"_

 _"Yeah, no problem." Gently peeling the bandage from its wrapper, Sans wound it around Frisk's thumb at an angle to ensure a snug, but comfortable fit._

 _"Thank you!" They chimed, giving him a wide smile in return before turning back to the kitchen._

 _"Hey kid. Actually, I have a question for you. Ya know, if ya don't mind." Frisk stopped and turned back to Sans, head tilted and eyebrows raised questioningly. "Heh, this might be a silly question, and I have a vague concept already, but I was kinda hoping you could tell me what that red stuff is."_

 _Frisk looked shocked for a moment, as if he'd asked the most obvious question in the world, but gradually their expression shifted to understanding. "Well, it's called blood. Humans need it to survive." Sans had theorized that was probably the case. Still, it was an odd concept to grasp since monsters didn't have any themselves. "I learned in class that it transports nutrients and oxygen to the rest of our body. If we lose too much of it, we'll die."_

 _The last part made Sans shift uncomfortably. He'd killed Frisk (under Chara's control) countless times, and thus had been exposed to the sight of it often enough. "Sounds dangerous."_

 _Frisk nodded. "Yeah, it can be. That's why it's important to bandage wounds. It gives the body time to repair and make more. If you can get to a hospital, they can give you blood too."_

 _That part was news to Sans, he'd never considered that before. "Humans can create more blood?"_

 _They shook their head. "Other humans donate some of their own, but not enough to make themselves sick."_

 _"Sounds painful."_

 _They shrugged._

 _Sans stared at Frisk's bandage, transfixed on the concept of humans sharing what was essentially their life force. It was akin to monsters using healing magic to aid other monsters. Slowly, he looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as though testing them for the first time. "That's really…interesting, kid." He couldn't say why the subject gave him pause._

 _"Sans?"_

 _That snapped him out of his trance. With a shake of his head, the skeleton shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned widely. "Well don't you go doing something reckless like getting yourself hurt, okay? It's not like I can give you any blood. I just don't-"_

 _"Sans-"_

 _"-have the guts." He finished with a wink._

 _Papayrus' tormented screeching could be heard from the opposite end of the house._

 **…End flashback…..**

 _If we lose too much of it, we'll die._

The words bounced around Sans' skull insistently. How much was too much? Would slapping a band aid on such massive wounds be enough, or did they require another approach? Should he attempt to remove the splinters or leave them in? Should he apply snow to the burn site, or would that agitate it further? Humans were so hard to figure out. A few nice creams and a monster would be good to go, but Frisk had insisted that physical wounds were not treated the same as wounds to the soul.

Sans desperately wanted to address the kid's injuries, but with his limited knowledge he didn't even know where to start. And even if he did know exactly what to do, it was unlikely the magician would be willing to give them a moment's respite. Instead, the skeleton shifted the human in his arms and continued his hike as quickly as he could manage.

 _Magician, huh?_ Sans thought grimly. If history could be believed, it had taken seven magicians to create the barrier that had sealed the monsters away. _Guess they're still around after all this time._ Decedents or disciples probably _._ It was unlikely that the man's target had been chosen at random. Frisk was a very special human, serving as the link between humans and monsters. Without them, there was no telling if the tentative peace between the two races could be sustained.

It appeared not everyone was on board with the whole "peaceful coexistence" thing.

Sans' smile widened. "Hey kid, we're in luck, this is starting to look familiar. There should be some shortcuts up ahead." Just in time too. Sans was no Undyne, and was hardly capable of strenuous feats such as lugging 60ish pounds for several miles. His breath was becoming ragged, and sweat was beginning to accumulate on his forehead again.

Clambering over one final hill Sans was almost dizzy with relief as he came upon a tear that would take him to Snowdin. From there it would be easy going, and with the help of his friends…

Well, Sans hadn't actually thought that far ahead, but what was important was that he could get the kid to safety. And that was a start. "Alright, here we go." Sans stepped into the tear, willing himself through time and space, bracing for the mild feeling of vertigo that accompanied each of his jumps. The skeleton let out a sigh of relief-

-as he literally passed through the tear, effectively going nowhere.

For a moment Sans just stood there baffled, unable to grasp what had happened. Had he missed it? Spinning around and lining up once more, he stepped forward and reached out for the rift, channeling all his power to allow him to pass through.

And again went nowhere.

Sans felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't possible. He'd utilized this rift countless times, there was no way it shouldn't be working. And yet, there they were. "What….how….?"

"I see someone has been interfering with the timeline in this area."

If Sans had skin, he would have jumped out of it as a voice resonated within the rift before him. He scrambled backwards, clutching the kid protectively to his chest. As he did so, the man stepped from the shortcut before them, a look of amusement in his eyes. "That's taboo, you know. Very risky business. If it's alright with you, I think I'll go ahead and restrict your use of the portals for now." He smiled maliciously. "Just to be safe."

"…How… gracious of you." Sans managed, his anger matched only by his sense of foreboding. "Thought I was the only one using those things...How'd ya…how'd ya figure out where the shortcuts lead?"

The question seemed to spark a sadistic interest in the man. "You mean to tell me you can't see the pathways themselves? How unfortunate." No additional information was forthcoming.

Sans frowned, it didn't look like he'd get any more answers concerning the rifts. Which was a shame, but hardly his chief priority at the moment. "Yeah well, what can I say?" Sans shrugged, edging backwards. "I've been told I'm a real bonehead, so-"

"If you try to run, I'll kill you both." The man informed him, almost bored. Then he considered something. "Well, to be fair I'll kill you both either way, but I'd sooner see what you're capable of first. Without _that_ weighing you down." He nodded toward Frisk.

 _That, huh?_ Sans glowered. "Alright then. I'll take a fair fight over an unfair one I suppose. Let me just take care of this real quick." He walked backwards to the edge of the clearing, keeping his eyes fixed on the man. Once he achieved a sufficient distance, the monster dropped to one knee and lied the child gently on the ground. "S'okay kid. You take it easy for a bit, I'm gonna take care of this guy real quick." He gave the rift one last longing look, before closing his eyes and sighing in resignation. As Sans motioned to rise, Frisk's hand locked onto his sleeve. Their eyes were wide with fear as they shook their head slowly, pleadingly. "Don't give me that look kid." He managed to crack a dismissive smile and shrugged. "Gimme some credit, I can take care of this chump no problem." His eyes grew sad as he carefully loosened the child's grip from his person. "Besides kid…fact is we can't outrun this guy. And there's no way I'm leaving you behind. So the way I see it, that only leaves us with one option." The monster rose solemnly, turning back to the magician.

Sans took a few steps forward, positioning himself between Frisk and their attacker, his usual grin more akin to a grimace. "So…you're the one who hurt the kid, hm? Care to tell me why?" The man said nothing, only stared at the skeleton with the same disdain as he had Frisk. "How about a name? Anything?"

"You won't be around long enough for that to be relevant." The man said casually as he adjusted his gloves and took a ready stance.

"Heh, guess you're not the negotiating sort. Well, that's ok-" Sans' eyes darkened. "I know how to deal with freaks like you."

There was a familiar flicker as the magician's soul was pulled forth. The man seemed unconcerned by the prospect, and for good reason.

LV: 50 HP: 250

The magician's soul was pitch black.

Sans sighed. "Let's get this over with."

His eye flashed yellow, and immediately the magician was thrown sideways into a nearby tree. The man braced for impact, but was instantly dragged downward, where a pit of spiked bone awaited him. Using the tree for leverage, the man in black kicked off with all his might, successfully clearing the obstacle and landing on his feet.

Four Gaster blasters surrounded him, one on each side. The shots fired loudly and the magician threw himself to the ground, narrowly missing the blasts. Another four took the places of the old, trained on the man's current location. But before they could fire, he launched himself into the air. The blasters shot harmlessly into the ground, and the magician bolted towards Sans, only to draw back once more to avoid a round from one of the Mega Gaster Blasters.

Frisk could only stare in awe at the man's skills. _No human should be able to jump that high. No human's reflexes are that fast._ They'd fought Sans countless times while under the influence of Chara, but never had they been able to witness the skeleton's onslaught from a third person's perspective. It was sheer chaos. The monster stood with his left hand buried deep in his jacket pocket while the other remained in near constant motion. He lifted his arm this way and that, flicking his wrist to manipulate his signature weapons. Jagged bones erupted from the earth, guns fired from all directions, and the gravitational pull was in constant flux. As the magician was dragged back and forth, he utilized his momentum expertly, spinning so that he always landed on his feet.

Two minutes into the skirmish and the magician had not been so much as grazed. He'd yet to even go on the offensive. No matter which way Sans pulled them, they were never caught off guard. His cape flowed behind him as he leaped to avoid the serrated femurs emerging beneath his feet, making him look like a shadow taking flight. Landing a few feet away, he immediately dove forward, narrowly avoiding another shot from a Gaster Blaster. His expression remained stoic and unchanging.

This man did not require a reset button. He didn't need to memorize patterns or fight again and again in hopes of slowly gaining ground.

The magician's abilities were on par with Sans'.

But his deranged smile promised that the worst was yet to come.

...

 **And that's all for now! I'll get to working on chapter 4 as soon as possible. Please let me know what you thought of chapter 3!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"Well monster." The word was emphasized to imply that it was less of a noun, and more of a scourge. "I have to admit, you put up a better fight than the others. But I think it's time to move this along." The man slowly raised his arms out in front of him, once again filling the air with the hum of electricity. Unlike the skeleton, the magician was able to wield his magic dually. That would leave Sans at a significant disadvantage. All his years of training and he'd never managed to conjure anything with his right eye or hand. It really was a shame, it could have doubled his offensive power, but there was no use crying over 'what ifs.'

Silently, Sans readied his stance, preparing for what was to come.

The attack itself was actually quite beautiful. The beams of light snaked through the air, shinning bright and casting extravagant shadows upon the snow. With each bolt the man summoned, a multitude of smaller streams branched outward, its likeness similar to that of a flower. Unfortunately getting too close to said flower would have deadly consequences.

Sans slid sideways, narrowly missing the assault. One hit from that thing and it was game over. Apparently the man was done giving him the go around and things were about to get serious.

 _The real battle finally begins._

The light was blinding. The magician continued his onslaught of energy, both offensively and defensively. Whenever Sans directed his attacks at the man, he simply obliterated the obstacle in a spray of bone fragments and dust. But the skeleton remained determined, dodging artfully and summoning an endless supply of weapons to counter. Neither of the two would give an inch, each avoided the others' attacks by the narrowest of margins.

Sans grit his teeth in an unhappy smile. The magic attacks were incredibly difficult to predict. They didn't travel in straight lines, but rather curved and twisted erratically through the air. Sans suspected that even the magician couldn't fully control it. Most likely he was simply aiming in the skeleton's direction and hoping for the best.

Sans wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but he _was_ sure that he could feel the sweat starting to make its way down the side of his face…

….

Frisk slowly rose to a side sitting position. The pain was intense, but their concern for their friend was even more so. They'd been lingering in a near-catatonic state for a few minutes, but now their mind was starting to clear.

Sans was fighting some sort of mage or sorcerer; a human capable of using magic. They hadn't even known that was _possible_. What's more, it was all the skeleton could do to keep the man at bay.

Frisk's mind whirred with activity, considering their options _. Fight or flee?_ Those always seemed to be the two choices allotted to the human. From what they had gathered, Sans had been unsuccessful in his attempts to utilize his shortcut. That would make fleeing significantly more difficult, but despite the shrapnel in their hip, Frisk figured they would be able to walk if it came to that. However there was no way the human would abandon their friend, who'd refused to leave them in their time of need.

Likewise, fighting, was out of the question. The child was an unimpressive combatant at the best of times, let alone beaten and battered as they were. They'd only get in Sans' way.

That left only one option.

Frisk fumbled for the phone in their pocket.

With the magician locked in battle, he would be unable to engage Frisk in combat. His choices would be limited to the ones Frisk had been confined to during their adventures underground. And fortunately for Frisk, there was no option to engage additional opponents mid-battle. To do so would require the man to flee from Sans, which seemed an unlikely thing for him to do. And even if he did, Sans would most certainly reengage him.

Opening their contacts, Frisk clicked furiously as they searched for Toriel's name. A glimmer of hope lit within their heart as they hovered their finger over the call button.

And froze.

What exactly did Frisk hope to achieve? They'd seen this all before. A bloodthirsty human hell bent on destroying everything in their path, eliminating the defenseless creatures with ease. During these runs the majority of monsters had died within a few hits, and that had been against some kid with a knife. This man had obviously spent a lifetime perfecting the art of killing.

The carnage flashed before Frisk's eyes in an array of horror. Dust, dust, and more dust. Cries, pleas for help, and of course, the laughter.

 _They don't stand a chance._ The realization hit them like a ton of bricks. Frisk's hands began to shake. Calling for help would only ensure a greater number of casualties.

But they couldn't do nothing. They had to do _something_. But what? _What_? The only two who'd managed to stand against the genocidal child had been Sans…

…and Undyne.

They slammed their finger on the call button. The fish warrior fighting the magician alone would be risky, but if she joined forces with Sans…

The dagger speared through the phone, dislodging the device from their hand and slicing horizontally through the outer portion of Frisk's ear as it went.

"And what do you think you're doing?" The man's question sent chills running down their spine. "You don't think you're calling for backup now do y-" He was cut off by a barrage of bones meant to impale him where he stood, forcing him to leap back to safety.

"Nu-uh." Came the skeleton's low voice. "You're dealing with me. No need to involve the kid." Two blasters flanked the skeleton threateningly, daring the man to make a go for Frisk.

The cloaked man shot Sans a venomous look before shrugging indifferently. "Be that as it may, from the way things are going, I'm confident I can deal with the two of you simultaneously."

Before either of the two could reply, an eerily familiar sensation took hold of Frisk, and with the characteristic flicker of black and white, their soul was summoned forth.

The look of shock on Sans' face mirrored Frisk's. "H-how? That's not possible!" They'd only ever heard of monsters calling forth another's soul. Likewise, only a human with an incredibly powerful soul could summon their own with the intent to engage a monster in battle.

How strong did a human have to be to draw out the soul of another human?

"And yet…" The man mused, not needing to finish the sentence; the situation spoke for itself. "I think you're seriously underestimating the capabilities of magicians."

Sans' expression was bleak. "I think you're right." He agreed unhappily.

And just like that, Frisk was thrown into the fray.

The child was lifted off their feet and went careening sideways, barely managing to avoid a bolt of electricity. They slid to a halt, once again behind Sans.

The skeleton knew he wouldn't be able to attack and dodge for the both of them, so instead he decided to up his offenses in hopes of limiting the magician's mobility. Six Gaster Blasters circled around the perimeter of the battlefield, firing consecutively. Likewise, bones continued to catapult through the air and erupt from the earth under the man's feet. What attacks the man was able to get off, Sans would avoid while dragging the kid along with him, always keeping them a safe distance behind.

…

As Frisk watched the change in battle dynamics they noticed something was different.

Something was wrong.

At first glance it seemed as though Sans' overwhelming firepower far outmatched the magician's, keeping him on the defensive. But coming from someone who had become intimately familiar with the monster's fighting style, the problem was all too clear.

Sans was slowing down.

The change in strategy had come at a price. Sans' shoulders heaved with the effort of him catching his breath, and he had to run his sleeve across his forehead frequently to keep the sweat out of his eyes. The vast amount of energy required to perform his techniques had always been Sans' Achilles heel, and now it was going to cost them. "Ok kid." He called over his shoulder suddenly, panting heavily. "New plan. I want you to go ahead and flee. Get as far away from here as you can."

Frisk shook their head resolutely.

"You need to get somewhere safe. I can handle this on my own, trust me."

 _He's lying. He knows he can't keep this up much longer, and when he finally gives out…_ "No Sans, I'm staying right here."

"Kid-"

"I'm not leaving you!"

The monster dodged another bolt of lightning, dragging the kid with him by the soul. "You're not doing me any favors, kid! We both know it only takes one slip up for me to bite the dust, and if that happens-"

Sans was cut off as he spun back around, coming face to face with the magician.

He'd used a short cut.

With a swift kick to the side of his head, the magician sent Sans flying, landing with a crack as his head bounced off the frozen earth. Faintly, the monster registered Frisk cry out his name in dismay. _Please, just run kiddo._

He slowly opened an eye and glanced at his stats. The kick had taken out a fifth of his HP. Between his frequent naps that continued to raise his health beyond its max capacity, combined with his renewed hope, the monster could actually withstand certain attacks it seemed.

Sans raised a bony hand to the right side of his face, instantly feeling the jagged cracks that made their way from the bottom of his eye down through his cheek. But he didn't have time to dwell on the injury. Still on his hands and knees, the skeleton raised his left arm skyward. But before he could finish the motion, the magician once again delivered a swift kick that sent the monster skidding through the slush and mud and into the base of a nearby tree.

Half covered by the snow dislodged from the branches on impact, Sans waved his arms wildly, digging in an attempt to free himself. Meanwhile his eye glowed and three blasters appeared behind the man. He met their blasts with some of his own, creating a small explosion in response that obliterated the triage.

The monster, gasping and stumbling, had just staggered to his feet in time to receive a fist to his chest. He flew backwards, landing a short distance from Frisk.

This time, he didn't get up.

"Sans!" Frisk cried, leaping to their feet and running to his side. They shook the monster by the shoulders, but his eyes remained dark and lifeless. "Get up! You have to get up!" Upon closer inspection, a decent sized crack had been left in the monster's sternum to match the ones on his face and head. Frisk gathered the monster's jacket in their hands, pulling them so that they were almost face to face. "GET UP!"

Sans' eyes snapped open. His white pupils darted from side to side, quickly taking in their surroundings. It wasn't long before he'd reoriented himself. "Seriously kid, it's over, you gotta run." He didn't motion to get up.

Frisk grasped the Skeleton under his arms. "Then you have to come with me!" The monster wasn't particularly heavy, but Frisk was small for their age and not particularly strong either.

"I'm sorry kid, I can't. I can't move. I'm spent." To prove his point, he attempted to move his limbs, which shook violently from the effort before falling back to his side.

The child looked at their friend in despair. He'd only come to keep Frisk safe, and now the skeleton would pay for his generosity with his life. Gritting their teeth together, the human heaved the skeleton through the snow. "Then I'll carry you! GET UP!" The child practically shrieked, tears streaming freely down their face.

This feeling of desperation was different compared to the desperation Frisk had felt during their adventures underground. Without a reset button, every decision they made would be final. Every action unchangeable.

And every death permanent.

"PLEASE, GET UP!" Frisk wailed.

Sans tried again. Gripping the child by the shoulders he half stood, half climbed to his feet. The kid had made their position on the subject quite clear; they were in this together, for better or for worse. And Sans couldn't have it being said that his laziness had gotten the child killed, Toriel would never forgive him. "You really are stubborn kid. You know that?" His voice wavered at his attempt at lightheartedness, but the pain in his expression was undeniable.

Frisk supported the monster as best as they could, dragging him with all their strength. The two must have made quite a sight. Still wounded from their earlier bout, Frisk had a limp and found that they couldn't fully raise their left arm. This made their strides awkward and clumsy, but slow going made for going all the same.

Meanwhile, the magician had been effectively eliminating the remaining Gaster Blasters at Sans' disposal. He stood among a field of shattered bones, dust filling the air in thick clouds. He scanned the clearing to assess his work and nodded approvingly.

The two had barely managed to flee more than a few yards before he was upon them.

"Running away? I thought we'd already established that wasn't going to work." Turning on reflex, Frisk stumbled and fell, taking the skeleton with them. They landed face up in the snow, giving them a perfect view of the shadow looming above them.

Out of guns, Sans weakly rose his left hand…

…only for the magician to slam a boot on his forearm, snapping his radius in half.

The pain must have been excruciating judging from the monster's scream. Clutching his arm, he fell into a heap on the ground. Frisk stared blankly, so overwhelmed with grief and despair that they had come full circle and could hardly feel anything at all. They slowly settled back on their knees, eyes wide and vacant, before turning back to face the man.

They'd lost.

Frisk gathered the skeleton into their arms in slow, uncoordinated movements. The gesture, though meant to be protective, was a wasted effort. "I'm sorry… Kid." Sans muttered, still clutching his arm.

"No Sans." Frisk said, their voice devoid of emotion, tears dripping down their cheeks. "I'm…the one… who's sorry."

"For what it's worth, you were quite formidable for a soul stealing _freak_." The magician chided, once again adjusting his gloves. "But trust me when I say you didn't stand a chance. I've been doing this since before you were born. After all…" The man leaned down until his face was only inches from Frisk's, eyes burning with crazed rage. "…I did play a role in the whole war and barrier business. I think I can handle some kid and a bag of bones."

Silence followed in the wake of the man's remark. "The war…?" Frisk managed, not understanding. "That's not…that happened _centuries_ ago." Their shock gave way to hysteria. "You can't have been there! You can't! You're lying! It's _impossible_!" The weight of the situation finally set in; the two would die, and their friends would follow. And if the man could be believed, then at least six others like him existed.

Frisk's expedition seemed so trivial now. Monsters would be sealed back underground soon enough, and that was if they lived at all.

"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! IT'S NOT-"

The blade sliced Frisk from side to sternum.

 **...**

 **Please leave a review if you liked it, I'd love to hear from you!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Frisk had never been evil, just misguided.

In the beginning they had only utilized the reset button to avoid death. While the child had been terrified during their first few runs, they had never resorted to harming a monster. But as time went on, Frisk used the reset button in order to secure a better ending, one where everyone was happy and free. It took dozens upon dozens of attempts for them to realize that there was nothing they could do for the king and queen's biological child; no ending where he obtained a soul and joined the group as they journeyed to freedom.

Finally, the child had simply not wanted their adventure to end.

The thrill of venturing through an unknown land, turning foes into friends, and liberating an entire race had been undeniably exhilarating. The thought of returning to the surface had been a bitter pill to swallow, so they'd simply postponed their departure. No harm done; they would move forward….eventually. Until then, there were still secrets to uncover, dialogue to witness, and friends to make.

Of course, that had been before the voices.

' _Kill it.'_ The thought had entered Frisk's mind without warning shortly after encountering the Froggit. The child had been so stunned by the involuntary notion that they ended up resetting before their next turn.

As time went on, the voices grew louder and more insistent. With each reset it became more difficult to ignore them, their constant badgering to _say_ this and _do_ that. For a while they'd managed to fend off the mental assault, but Frisk hadn't predicteded just how tight a hold they'd had on them.

Frisk had only let their guard down for an instant, distracted by one thing or another. It was similar to spacing out while reading a book, only to catch yourself several pages later with no recollection of what you'd read. However during Frisk's lapse in awareness, they'd somehow managed to murder three monsters.

The child had screamed and cried, resetting as fast as they could, but that had only made things worse. From then on, a sort of numbness had taken hold of their body as well as an impulsive twitch of the hand. Every monster encounter made the human's hand ache terribly.

They'd fought it, of course. They'd tried to resist with all their strength, all their determination, but the _thing_ was determined too. And patient. Run after run they gained a little more control. It was then that Frisk realized they needed to complete their journey, lest they become unable to achieve their happy ending. But by then it was too late. With each new attempt something would go horribly wrong, someone would always end up dead.

Until finally they'd lost control completely.

It had been a horrifying revelation. Frisk was a prisoner in their own body, doomed to watch the massacre unfold. The fallen human would purposefully seek out every living creature in an attempt to eradicate the species. Frisk had cursed their own weakness, their inability to stop the corrupted soul.

So in some small way, they felt it was only fair that they met their end at the hands of a knife wielding psychopath.

Chara would have found it funny.

….

Sans dropped from the child's arms as they fell face up in the snow, eyes shut and lips parted lifelessly. "K-kid!" He cried, rolling onto his side so he could face them. He propped himself on his injured elbow and laid a bony hand on the long gash across the child's chest. Unfortunately his attempts to staunch the flow of blood were of little help; without flesh to mold to the child's body it was like trying to apply pressure using a handful of rocks. The fluid seeped out from in between Sans' carpal bones, making for a sight that was as horrifying as it was useless.

Realizing the futility of his efforts, the monster flailed around until he was facing the magician. "Just let the kid go!" Sans shouted, using his one good arm to drag himself toward the man. "We get the point, monsters are evil and we all deserve to die- blah blah blah. _Fine_! Then just kill me already! But Frisk is a child, a _human_ child, so leave them alone!" The skeleton gripped his ankles with what little strength he had left, earning him a disinterested look in response. "Please, I'm begging ya!"

"Spare the monster ambassador?" The magician reiterated incredulously. "The one responsible for undoing our hard work and centuries of peace? I think not."

Sans wrapped his arms around the man's shins, wounded limb and all. "I'll do anything! _Anything_!"

The man smiled sadistically. "You have nothing to bargain with, nothing I want. And even if you did, I'd sooner cut off my hand than accept anything from your kind. But tell you what, how about I make you a deal?" The man's pupils constricted to black pin pricks as his expression warped into one of twisted delight. "You shut up and die, and once you're dust I'll slit the brat's throat. Then you two can burn in hell together."

Sans' soul plummeted into his chest and his eyes faded to black. The look of desperation and terror slowly fell from his face. This man wasn't killing them because the world would be better off; he was killing them because he could. Because it was _fun_.

It was amazing how Sans kept attracting these types of people.

He bowed his head in defeat, the life draining from his face. "Yeah, I guess that'd be too easy." He sighed, taking one last look at the kid. They hadn't moved since they'd fallen, but now their entire front was drenched in the red sticky liquid. Their face was frighteningly pale as blood dripped from the corner of their mouth. A reset was not forthcoming it seemed. "Well done, looks like you got us. You should be really proud of yourself. Takes a big man to kill a child who won't fight back." The magician adjusted the dagger in his grip so that the blade was pointed downward in his clenched fist. "But I will say this: You might be an expert when it comes to the whole monster killing business…but, ya see…" Sans tightened his grip around the man's legs, his left eye flaring blue. "I think we both know who the real monster here is."

The bone shot through the man like a hot knife through butter.

For the first time since the skirmish began the magician looked genuinely shocked, and more gratifying yet, genuinely pained. The bone was anchored in the earth and angled so that the man had to step backwards to dislodge himself. He'd seen it coming at the last second, but the monster's tight embrace had prevented him from dodging it completely. Sans had actually been aiming for the man's heart, but the spike pierced through his left lower side and emerged out his mid back instead.

Kicking free from the skeleton's grasp, he managed to remove himself from the skewer. The stream of curses that escaped the man's lips were frightening in their intensity. "YOU STUPID, INSULATE ABOMINATION! HOW DARE YOU!" He clutched his side unsteadily, looking at his bloody hand in disbelief. "I'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB, THEN CRUSH YOUR SKULL! AND WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, EVERY SINGLE MONSTER WILL DIE A SLOW AND _PAINFUL_ DEATH!" Discarding his dagger in fury, he used his free hand to summon another ball of lightening. The sphere popped and crackled dangerously, but for once Sans didn't care. He laid his head down on the snow and closed his eyes, now completely drained of all his energy. Maybe the wound would buy his loved ones some time. Maybe they wouldn't share the same fate as him and Frisk. The magician roared incoherently, letting loose his attack in a blast that dwarfed all the others.

Sans closed his eyes.

"BROTHERRRRR!"

And snapped them back open just in time to see the wall burst forth from the ground, effectively cutting him off from his attacker. Giant femurs positioned side by side spanned at least a hundred yards in either direction, reaching around two stories tall. Additionally, the gaps between them were lined with flat bones sutured together and reinforced with an array of spiraling ribs laced intricately together.

From the other side, an explosion could be heard, causing the ground to shake, but the wall held fast.

Before the shorter skeleton could fully comprehend what had happened, he felt himself being scooped up into the familiar embrace of his brother. "Papyrus? Wh-what are you doing here?" He gasped, distressed over the safety of his kin.

"SAVING YOU OBVIOUSLY! I HEARD FROM THE ARMLESS MONSTER CHILD THAT YOU TWO WERE IN DANGER, SO I CAME AS QUICKLY AS I COULD!"

That was quite possibly the last thing Sans had wanted to happen. "N-no, you need to get out of here, this guy is seriously-"

"INDEED I WILL, JUST AS SOON AS I SECURE YOU AND THE HUMAN!" Turning towards the fallen child, Papyrus dropped to his knees and cradled them in his arms. "FRISK! YOU'RE HURT…QUITE BADLY." His expression was grave, but the moment was short lived. "FEAR NOT, I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU! JUST FOCUS ON NOT DYING!" Stepping back over to Sans, he stooped down, facing away. "GRAB ON, BROTHER! I SHALL CARRY YOU TO SAFETY!"

A million thoughts swam through Sans' mind, but they had no time to argue. Keeping his injured arm close to his chest, he wrapped the other around his brother's shoulder. The taller skeleton got to his feet, before deftly sprinting off in the opposite direction of the wall.

Papyrus was here. His brother was in the most dangerous place on earth right now. It was almost more than the blue eyed skeleton could handle, but when his time to speak came, all he could manage was, "What was _that_?"

"WHAT WAS WHAT?"

"You know what that I'm talking about: that huge wall! Since when have you been able to build a barricade like _that_? Since when have you been able to build barricades _at all_?" Sans wasn't even sure if his Gaster Blasters could pierce the sturdy looking barrier.

"OH THAT? WELL THAT WAS JUST ONE OF MY MANY AMAZING ATTACKS, OF COURSE!" He paused, then reconsidered his statement. "NO... I-I DON'T KNOW, SANS. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I SAW THAT MAN ABOUT TO HURT YOU. SO I STOPPED HIM. I HAD TO, OTHERWISE…"

Sans didn't know what to say to that, and it didn't really matter anyway as long as they were alive. The fight drained out of him, leaving him deflated and tired. Sullenly, he looked down at the child in his brother's arms. They weren't out of the woods yet, but they were leagues better off than they'd been prior to Papyrus' arrival. "Thanks for saving us bro."

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" Papyrus beamed, grateful for the change in topics. His brother used his free arm to assist in his ascension of a steep hill, digging into the snow to give him leverage. He stumbled at one point, falling to one knee, but recovered quickly and continued his climb. Sans looked over his shoulder but saw no signs of their pursuer. He would have to tell his brother the extent of their situation, it was either that or take the risk of him operating on half the facts.

"Ok bro, there's something you gotta know."

"WHAT IS IT SANS?" He asked distractedly. They had peaked the hill and the lanky skeleton was now struggling to keep his balance as he skied down with nothing more than his boots.

"So…" Sans grit his teeth apprehensively. "So you know about my time and space shenanigans, right?" He twisted his arm anxiously, old habits died hard; he still wanted to protect his brother from the truth. "Turns out this guy can do 'em too. He's a magician Paps, and he's super dangerous. We can't fight him." His voice rose in urgency, trying to stress the importance of his next point. "And we _can't_ try to befriend him, Papyrus. He won't accept our mercy, and he won't give us any either."

For once in his life, the scarfed monster said nothing, and Sans was unable to read his expression form his current position. The silence lingered on, and suddenly he was afraid that he'd gone unheard. The short skeleton was just about to repeat himself when Papyrus piped up. "I UNDERSTAND SANS. I CAN SEE WHAT HE DID TO YOU…" He looked back at his brother sadly, then down at the bundle in his arms. "AND FRISK." He shifted uncomfortably, adjusting his passengers before resuming his steady jog. "I WON'T SAY THAT HE CAN'T CHANGE…THAT HE ISN'T A GOOD PERSON DEEP DOWN, BUT…" He looked back again, his eyes filled with a resolve Sans had never seen before. "I WILL PROTECT YOU. BOTH OF YOU. NO MATTER WHAT THAT MEANS."

There was no use telling him to save himself, to consider the pair a lost cause and to abandon them. Like Frisk, his brother was with him till the bitter end.

Never had anything touched him so much, and filled his with so much fear. The silence that passed between the two was heavy, when something suddenly occurred to the wounded monster. "Hey, do ya have any food on you?"

Papyrus blinked in surprise. "I-I DON'T." He said regretfully.

Sans clicked his teeth together, something he tended to do when thinking under duress. Papyrus' defense had been effective, but it would only be a matter of time before the magician located a shortcut and caught up to them. He didn't believe for a second that his desperate attack had been enough to kill or even scare off the mad man.

For the first time since they'd taken flight, Sans took in their surroundings. "Where are we going Paps?"

"GETTING BACK TO THE TRAIL WILL BE THE QUICKEST-"

"No, stay in the forest." He interrupted. "Keep heading in the direction of the ruins, but stay away from the path." Over the years, Sans had noticed a trend with his shortcuts. The vast majority of them were located near heavily populated areas. This led him to believe that their locations were not arbitrary. If they were merely scattered about indiscriminately, then the rifts would be spaced randomly throughout the underground. But because they seemed to lump together, especially along the road to Asgore's castle, it could be hypothesized that their formation stemmed from a being that also frequented such locations. So his theory was this: whenever someone with the power to alter time (Frisk or Flowey, in this case) used the reset button, a tear in space was left behind. So by sticking to places where the two were less likely to have performed a reset (the path), they could avoid the rifts and reduce their chances of encountering the homicidal magician.

At least, that's what Sans hoped.

Credit to his brother; he veered deeper into the forest without question.

… **..**

 **Alrighty, another chapter down! I've already started working on the next one, so it'll be up pretty soon.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

It had been a long time since they'd seen the magician, Sans noted. Too long. If he could really utilize the rifts as he pleased, surely they would have seen some sign of him by now. Had the monster's attack really done him in?

"PAPYRUSSSS!"

The call rang from off in the distance, the sharp tone unmistakable. His brother slowed to a sudden stop. "UNDYNE! OVER HERE!"

After a brief pause, the sound of snow crunching under foot and tree branches snapping could be heard approaching them at a rapid pace. The trio had managed to make their way back to the frozen lake west of Snowdin, but remained off the beaten path according to Sans' plan. Bursting from the trees in a flash of red and blue, the fish monster cleared a hurdle of bushes in a single leap. She skidded to a halt in front of them, spear in hand.

"I'm here! Where is he? Who's hurting Frisk?!" She ground her teeth together and glared menacingly, head darting back and forth as she scoured the area. Her eye widened at the gruesome state of Sans and Frisk, shock written all over her face; evidently she had not been anticipating a crisis of this magnitude. "What happened?!" She searched the brothers' faces for an explanation.

"We don't have time to get into specifics, but suffice to say there's a human capable of using magic after us. We had a bit of a disagreement over the whole us _being alive_ thing." Sans emphasized.

Undyne's shock turned into rage. "This guy is dead! You hear me?!" She spun her spear threateningly in hand. "Where is he? Tell me where he is!"

"SANS SAYS THAT WE NEED TO RUN!" Papyrus supplied. "HE THINKS-"

"I don't care, I'm taking this guy down! You three head back to the surface and leave this scum to me!" The former captain of the royal guard had clearly dropped everything in favor of a quick rescue, as she had not dawned her armor and was dressed plainly in a black tank top and jeans. Ordinarily she would be complaining of Snowdin's intense cold, but at the moment she didn't even seem to register the chilly conditions.

"Ya don't know what this guy is capable of Undyne." Sans reasoned. "You gotta trust me, taking him on alone is suicide. I tried."

The warrior was not placated. "I've trained my whole life for this sort of thing, Sans!" She shouted. "I'm sure you did your best, but you just don't have the sort of training I do!"

Sans grit his teeth and gave his friend an agonized look. He had to tell the former captain the truth, but they simply didn't have the time. "I know how it looks Undyne, but you've got to listen to me. I'm a lot more capable than you think, and I can say for a _fact_ that if you try to fight this guy you're gonna end up a pile of dust."

"And _you_ need to trust _me_ , Sans." She locked eyes with the skeleton. "There's no way I'll lose to some coward who attacks children." The determination blazed in her eyes like wild fire, overwhelming in its intensity. "If we run away, then who's gonna stop this guy?"

Sans was extremely fond of the aquatic monster. Most loved her strength and confidence; and while those were redeeming qualities, Sans adored Undyne for her genuineness. She never pretended to be anything but herself. If she didn't like something, she said so, if she wanted to do something, she did it. And when the entirety of the underground had dismissed his older brother as a lack wit, she had seen him for who he truly was. She'd befriended Papyrus despite his flaws and pushed him to be the best version of himself, and for that, Sans would be eternally thankful.

And if he didn't change the mind of this wonderfully courageous, fiercely loyal, and insanely stubborn monster, then she would die.

Sans couldn't let that happen.

"Ok…" He conceded. "Then how about this, do you have any food?"

The casual question broke the tension, and the red head blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah. I always keep some potato chisps on me, just in case." She handed the wounded monster the small bag from her back pocket. Sans tore the package open and tipped the contents into his mouth. After a few heartbeats, he felt his HP max out, much to his utter relief. He was vaguely aware of the crack in his orbit slowly fusing together along with his severed radius. It was such an invigorating feeling after teetering on the edge of death that he found himself sighing aloud. Unfortunately the food did little to replenish his diminished energy, but the skeleton had gone from running on fumes to 50% in the tank, so it was something. "I have another bag, do you think that'll help…" She trailed off, looking doubtfully at the wounded child.

"Their HP is probably full, it's their body that's the problem." He said, brushing crumbs from his face. "They need to get to a hospital as soon as possible."

During their exchange. Papyrus had dropped to his knees and relieved himself of his scarf. He wound the cloth around the human's small body multiple times before tying it securely in the front. It made for a crude bandage, but it was better than nothing. Frisk's breath came out in shallow gasps at a rate that was far too rapid for comfort, but they were alive.

"Here, give 'em this." Sans shrugged out of his signature blue jacket and handed it over, leaving him only in a white T shirt and black shorts. Papyrus smiled gratefully at his brother before helping Frisk into the over-sized coat, zipping it up to their throat and pulling the hood down.

Sans smiled warmly. "You shoulda seen it Undyne. Paps saved our lives." The fish monster's eyebrows shot up before turning to look at the blushing skeleton. "Created the biggest wall you've ever seen, stopped the guy's attack like it wasn't even there."

The red head clapped her hand over the skeleton's back in congratulations. "That's amazing Papyrus! Way to go!"

His brother rubbed the back of his head modestly. "IT WAS NOTHING, JUST FULFILLING MY BROTHERLY DUTY."

"I-it…wasn't nothing…." The trio of monsters looked down in surprise to find the child had cracked an eye open and was looking up at them through the fuzzy hood. "Y-you saved us…thank you. I was r-really scared…." They spoke slowly in between ragged breaths, but hearing their voice filled Sans with more relief than the chisps had. "But y-you really weren't meant to be…in the royal guard..."

The look on Papyrus' face looked as though he'd been slapped. Undyne bit her lip apprehensively and Sans felt himself bristle defensively. But before he could formulate a response, the child continued. "You…you weren't meant to be a warrior Papyrus…you were meant to be… a guardian."

This caught the boisterous skeleton short. "A GUARDIAN?" He puzzled. "WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"

The kid took several deep breaths. "A warrior, uses their strength to beat their enemies." They cast Undyne a small smile. "A guardian…uses their strength…to protect their friends." They reached out and laid a hand over Papyrus' chest, right over his soul.

The skeleton's eyes filled with tears. "I'D NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY!" He considered a moment. "I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT: THE _GREAT_ GUARDIAN PAPYRUS!" He tested the title and nodded approvingly. Sans felt warmth spread throughout his body and a genuine smile spread across his face, he couldn't have said it better himself. The kid was wise beyond their years.

Letting their hand fall back into their lap, they looked in Sans' direction. "You…too…thank you, Sans. Thank you, for coming to save me." Then Frisk closed their eyes, still conscious, but exhausted from the effort.

"Always kiddo." He said, ruffling their hair affectionately. Straightening back up, he flexed his newly mended appendage. "Alright then, if you're hell bent on taking this guy on then we'll do it together."

The look of fondness dropped from Undyne's face; that had not been what she wanted to hear. "Absolutely not, are you crazy?! Your HP is so low that I have to be careful not to _hug_ you too hard!" She raged. "And you've never had any training like Papyrus, there's no way I can let you come with me!"

"Well, I'm not asking for permission." The look his statement earned him indicated that he'd hurt and infuriated his friend, so he quickly backpedaled. "Look, just give me a chance. I promise I'll surprise you. But if after my first few attacks you think I'll just be in the way then I promise to split, ok?"

Sans' promises were few a far between, so when he made them, everyone knew it was serious business. Undyne glowered for a few more heart beats, deeply conflicted, before nodding reluctantly. "Alright, but you do what I say when I say it, and if I say run you high tail it out of here, got it?!"

The skeleton bobbed his head in consent. "Fair enough."

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" Papyrus asked anxiously.

Everything in him screamed for Sans to urge his brother to take the wounded child and flee as fast as he could, but if they had any hope of winning then they'd need all the help they could get. "How about you hang back and keep an eye on Frisk? Do you think you could make some more of those barriers for us? They don't have to be as big as the last one, just wide enough to shield us from individual attacks."

Papyrus considered a moment. "I-I THINK SO." He chimed optimistically, yet a flicker of doubt remained.

"Don't take any big risks Paps." He cautioned. "Only do it if you have a clear shot. But above all, keep the kid safe. If things go south, get out of here. You got it?" His brother nodded solemnly.

A moment of silence passed between them. They knew what they had to do, but it was risky, and wouldn't be pretty even if they succeeded. Undyne sighed. "Alright, so where's this-"

The sword impaled the tree a mere inch from her throat.

If the fish monster had not side stepped at the last second she would have been relieved of her head. The sword was black and as long as Sans' arm, curving extravagantly and ending in a hilt decorated by white flora. Slowly, it dislodged itself from the tree and spun back in the direction it had come.

The magician stalked toward the four, eyes glowering in fury.

But this time he was accompanied by a woman.

Her skin was the whitest Sans had ever seen on a human before, while her hair twisted intricately in a black waterfall of wavy locks over one shoulder. Her burgundy dress had long sleeves and hugged her figure down to her hips before flowing out around her feet in a puddle of fabric.

Her eyes were red.

Behind the human female floated eleven swords identical to the one that'd been thrown. They formed a ring behind her, pointing inward. As the twelfth sword rejoined them, they each twisted in delight as if they'd been reunited with an old friend.

"So…I'm guessing these are the guys, huh?" Undyne's voice was tense, she could sense the animosity radiating from the two humans just as Sans had.

"Yeah…." He managed. "But the lady's new."

Her ruby lips curled into a cruel smile. "Actually, I've been here the whole time." She waved her hand dismissively, slow and graceful. "I mistakenly believed that my companion would be sufficient to dispatch of a child, but it appears as though I overestimated him." She tilted her head upward so that she looked down at the monsters. "And underestimated _you_."

Her partner was not amused. "I had everything under control." He snarled. "He just caught me off guard is all." His wound was bandaged as hastily as Frisk's, utilizing what appeared to be a strip of fabric torn from his cloak.

"And because of your oversight you sustained a substantial injury, and now I must help clean up your mess." She snapped, her sharp tone sending chills down the skeleton's spine. After a pause, her icy demeanor melted away and she supplied a gentle smile. "But it matters not, this won't take but a moment." She took a few steps forward, sporting pointed black stilettos. Sans realized that her movements were unnaturally graceful, and that unlike her companion, her feet didn't sink into the snow.

Undyne stepped forward, slamming the butt of her spear into the frozen earth. "How dare you hurt Frisk and Sans, two of my precious friends!" She took the weapon in both hands and crouched into a readied stance. "You're going to pay for that! And if you think you're getting past me then you'd better think again!" A half a dozen spears materialized behind the female monster, pointing threateningly at the pair of magicians.

Sans stepped up next to his friend, his left eye sparking to life. "What she said."

The woman arched an eyebrow in amusement at the sight of the skeleton. "I thought you'd all but dispatched of that one." She said, turning to the cloaked man. When no response was forthcoming, she sighed and shook her head. "Even after I went through all the trouble of barring his use of the rifts."

The skeleton's eyes widened. It suddenly occurred to him that during his previous fight the male magician had relied almost entirely on his electrical-based attacks. Sure, he'd utilized a shortcut at one point, but he didn't seem to incorporate the time and space manipulation into his fighting style like Sans did. Almost as if he weren't intimately familiar with the ability…

Or perhaps he'd never had the ability in the first place.

"Before we, ah… get down to business. I was wondering…" Sans questioned nonchalantly. "How do a pair of humans such as yourselves end up with magical powers anyway?"

Again the woman spoke, clearly enjoying the banter more than the man. "To fight monsters, one must become a monster themselves. Fight fire with fire." She strode forward, leaving no footprints as she went. "A monster who absorbs a human soul becomes a beast with terrifying power…" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "What do you think happens to a human, when they absorb a monster's soul?"

"The legends say that it's never been done."

The woman's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"The legends are wrong."

 **...**

 **Please feel free to leave a review telling me what you thought!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: Hey everybody! I know its been a while, I had my hands full with classes. But I may have some spare time here in the next few weeks, so I'll try to get a bit more work done. :) Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 7

In the past, Sans had contemplated what made one strong. Was one born great, or did one achieve greatness? For example, Toriel and Asgore had been blessed with the good fortune to be boss monsters. With attack and defense stats of 80 each, the pair were some of the most lethal monsters in the underground. But in a twist of irony, they were also the most soft-hearted creatures to ever roam the earth. They'd never been able to bring themselves to fight at 100%. Even when Asgore had been capturing children's souls for the sake of monster-kind, he'd held back.

Likewise, Papyrus was neither the most adept nor the most savage of fighters. But as Sans had witnessed, his defensive skills were unparalleled when it came to protecting his friends.

Of course, if a thirst for battle was what made a person strong, then one need look no further than Undyne. Despite her attack of 7 and 0 defense, she was so determined to lay waste to her enemies that she had altered her very being, boosting her stats to 99 each when facing Chara. She was a skilled warrior worthy of calling herself head of the royal guard, and capable of going toe to toe with a magician.

And then there was Sans.

With his attack and defense of 1, he was literally the weakest monster to ever exist. But before the resets had taken over his life he'd been a passionate scientist, delving into methods of destroying the barrier. Unlike the others, who had either held back or abided by an unspoken set of rules, Sans had a different mentality in regards to battle. Undyne had insisted that _how_ somebody won was just as important as winning itself. That's why she had stopped chasing Frisk when they'd received Papyrus' phone call, why she had thrown them a spear with which to fend off her attacks, and why everyone would just _stand there_ and take hits because it wasn't "their turn."

Sans disagreed.

In an effort to make up for his shortcomings, he'd done away with the so called rules of war. He would start with his strongest move first, dodge, poison, and feign mercy if it meant victory. If he could only deal 1 damage at a time, then he sure as hell wasn't going to allow them the privilege of invincibility frames. Sans had accepted his weak points and striven to compensate for them. He wasn't one to brag, but he'd held Flowey and Chara off longer than anybody.

But of course, Sans had also been the one to give up. Trapped in a never ending loop, the skeleton lacked the one thing that had made the pair of time manipulators so powerful.

Determination.

He hadn't always had such low stats. He'd tried in the beginning, oh had he tried. Sans was sure that in the early days he had collaborated with the others to stop the rueful flower, but as time wore on he'd lost hope, lost the will to keep trying. Why bother doing anything of substance if it would just be undone at the drop of a hat?

But things were different now. Everyone was free and safe. Sans couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy. The group of friends had resumed living their lives and following their dreams.

And these two freaks of nature were trying to take that from him. As if they could possibly understand what they'd all been through. As if they had the right to dismiss it all as if it were nothing. They wanted to dispatch of the monsters and then sweep them under the rug as if they'd never existed.

Over his dead dust.

The skeleton absently clenched his fist, popping his knuckles in the process. "So how do you want to do this?" Undyne questioned, keeping her eye locked on the two humans before them. "One on one, or-"

"No." Sans interjected immediately. "Stick together, it'll be easier for Papyrus to lend us back up, plus my one on one fight with Sparky didn't end well for me." The skeleton glanced at the irate man, rage blazing in his yellow eyes. He was more of a monster than Sans or Undyne could ever hope to be.

The red head nodded consent.

Across the way, the two magicians exchanged a look, before returning their attention to the pair of monsters. A high pitched flicker preceded the summoning of their souls, both a shade that Sans could only describe as impossibly black. It was as though two heart-shaped holes had been punched out of the very fabric of space, giving them a tiny glimpse into a dark, endless void. The female smiled. "After you."

Before Sans could even blink, Undyne materialized between the two humans and sent the man flying with a swift kick to the chest. He crash landed on the frozen earth unceremoniously, letting out a loud huff of air as the wind was knocked out of him. Squaring back up, the aquatic monster held her clenched fists out in front of her. "That's for my friends." She growled. In the next instant, the warrior whirled around and hurled a spear at the woman.

As if the magician's twelve swords had wills of their own, one leapt forward and parried the harpoon, sending the two blades spinning in opposite directions. But Undyne had followed through with her attack, leaving her mere inches from the female. The red head lashed out with another spear, but the magician side stepped the attack, leaving a hairs width between her and the blade. For a moment the two locked eyes; Undyne's gaze burned with fiery fury, the woman's was as cold as ice.

And just like that, the battle had begun.

The battlefield exploded in an eruption of spears and swords as the two forces clashed. The blades met each of the spears blow for blow, effectively deflecting them from the red clad female. But Undyne was nothing if not persistent; with each spear that diminished in a burst of light, another would take its place. Additionally, what the former guardswoman lacked in protective armor, she made up for in speed. She weaved from side to side, slashing and stabbing in a maelstrom of white and blue magic.

Sans jumped at the chance to double team the human, seeing as the man was temporarily incapacitated. He summoned three Gaster Blasters, all of which were decorated with an array of cracks that eluded to his previous battle. The woman seemed unconcerned and flashed another dazzling smile. She stepped to either side, dodging Undyne's spears along with Sans' blasts.

A look of surprise crossed Undyne's face as she witnessed the skeleton's power. Clearly she had not been anticipating much from him, but that was to be expected.

The pair continued their onslaught of magic, throwing everything they had at the female, but still she dodged. Despite her choice in dress she seemed to have no problem with navigating about the snowy terrain. She glided without having to move her legs more than a few steps, creating an ever-moving target for the monster duo.

Simply put, fighting the woman was incredibly frustrating. The male had been fast, with reflexes that were beyond the capacity of a normal human, but it was clear the woman was not gifted with the same ability. Instead, her dodges were calm and careful, always avoiding the attack by the narrowest of margins. The man would have spun, leaped, and slid out of the way, but the ebony haired female just kept side stepping. She was even able to avoid Sans' attacks from behind without so much as a sideways glance.

"BROTHER!"

The familiar voice of his sibling rose above the chaos of battle, but Sans kept his gaze fixed firmly on his target.

"BROTHER? I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU!"

"Not now Papyrus." The skeleton called distractedly, his teeth grinding together in concentration. The situation was growing bleaker by the second, several minutes into the battle and neither side had anything to show for it. But the telltale heaving of his chest and beads of sweat making their way down the side of his face eluded to the familiar sense of fatigue setting into his bones.

Sans' eye flared yellow as he reached out and took hold of the magician's soul, intent on stilling her movements long enough for his ally to deal a few blows. He lifted his arm and willed his magic outward…

The woman's crimson eyes locked onto his, and immediately the skeleton's left orbit was seized by a sharp and blinding pain, making his skull feel as though it were splitting into a thousand pieces. He let out an agonized cry, clutching his head and staggering backwards. Doubling over as he attempted to reorient himself, Sans involuntarily released the woman's soul.

 _What was that!?_ He managed to open his eyes as the pain slowly decreased in intensity before subsiding altogether. Touching the magician's soul had been akin to touching a hot stove; the instinct to recoil strong and sudden. Once again, the woman had nullified another one of his abilities. If this kept up, he really would be useless in this battle.

The skeleton could feel his soul thrumming with nervous energy, they were about to lose their window; the man would soon come to, turning the match of two on one into two on two.

Quickly, Sans changed tactics. Abandoning the two females for the moment, he turned his attention to the male magician, Gaster Blaster at the ready. If he could quickly dispatch of the wounded human, the two monsters could focus their powers on the remaining combatant. Undyne would be unhappy with his underhanded methods, but it couldn't be helped. Sans raised his hand toward the fallen man.

But he was gone.

The skeleton felt his bones tingle as the familiar sizzling of electricity resonated off to his left. He spun to counter.

A wall erupted from the ground, shielding Sans from the lethal onslaught. Unlike the previous barricade, this construct was imperfectly formed, mismatched bones shoved hastily and crudely together. It obliterated with the force of the oncoming attack, sending the short monster flying.

Sans landed on his back in the snow, confused and surprised, but alive. "Thanks Bro." He managed, though his voice was strained with discomfort.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!"

Sans silently cursed himself. He'd failed, and his job was about to get a lot harder because of it. He struggled to his feet, his clothes heavy and damp from the sweat and snow. It sure would be nice to have his jacket right about now, but Sans knew it was being put to better use at the moment. The skeleton staggered to his feet and readied his stance once more, left eye sparking to life.

"BROTHER, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE BUSY WITH THE WHOLE… NOT DYING THING, BUT THE HUMAN IS QUITE INSISTENT-"

"It's gonna have to wait, my hands are full at the moment!"

The man had once again regained his footing, positioned only a few yards from the skeleton. His voice was as viciously cruel as Sans remembered, but he didn't let the smile fall from his face. "Just give up already. You know you can't win, we've been through this once already."

"I may not be a match for the kid over there, but I think you'll find I can be pretty persistent when there's something important at stake." The monster countered.

The human scoffed condescendingly. "Suit yourself." His palms began to resonate with accumulated energy. Sans readied his stance and prepared to dodge, but the preparatory phase of the attack continued to build. The man brought his hands together, causing the two balls of light to converge into a giant sphere that reverberated as those it were alive. His arms shook violently as he attempted to control the unruly manifestation of his power, but his expression told the skeleton that the task was far from easy.

Sans took a step back. He wouldn't be able to dodge an attack that size without teleporting, so he had no choice but to go on the offensive. His mind whirred with activity: he'd summon bones from underfoot then shoot his Blasters as the man dodged. With any luck the magician would lose concentration and fail in his attempt to execute his attack.

The monster raised his hand…

A flash of black and red appeared behind the man, and with a smirk the woman pulled her companion backwards into the portal, disappearing from sight.

 _No! How? I didn't even-_ Before Sans could complete his thought, he was blindsided from behind with a tackle. Had the ploy been meant to be a sneak attack? He looked over his shoulder to face his attacker, but quickly realized the intent of his assailant was not to cause injury. "Undyne?"

The tall monster was sprinting faster than he'd ever seen before, half dragging half carrying him along with her. Her eyes were wide and wild, mouth turned down in a strained grimace. "MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE-"

And then everything went white.

The monsters went flying from the force of the explosion, heat and light enveloping the battlefield around them. They were airborne for a full few seconds before Undye's left shoulder collided with a nearby tree, sending the two spinning painfully to the frozen earth, landing in a heap on the ground. Sans' crash-landing was cushioned by the former captain as she wrapped her long limbs around the skeleton protectively.

...

Even after a full 30 seconds, dirt and limbs were still falling around them, covering the monsters in a layer of dirt and soot. Crashes of varying intensity rang in the distance as debris littered the clearing, and Sans was pretty sure one of them belonged to a tree being knocked down.

The sound of the explosion had caused a persistent ringing in the skeleton's skull, but gradually it gave way to unsettling silence. The moments ticked by as Sans acclimated to the shock. "A-are…Are you ok, Undyne?"

No answer.

The lack of movement beneath him or response from his friend caused his soul to lodge painfully in his throat. He flipped over to stare at the fish monster, the smile gone from his face. She had fallen on her back with her head turned to the side, face obscured by her eyepatch and hair. His hands were positioned on either side of her head as he leaned over her, eyes black with dismay. "Undyne?" His voice barely audible.

Silence.

His fearful dismay gave way to furious desperation. "UNDYNE!"

Her eyes snapped open.

She shot up, inadvertently shoving the skeleton back into the snow. Upon seeing they weren't in immediate danger, the red head fixed her gaze on her friend. "Are you ok?"

Sans smiled bleakly. Undyne had taken the brunt of the damage, and still it was him she was concerned about. She really was one of a kind. "Never better. What about you?"

Both their gazes drifted over to look at her HP bar; it was right around the halfway mark. Something flickered in her eyes, but before Sans could place the emotion it was gone. Her expression had shifted to a wide, toothy grin. "This is nothing! They'll have to try a lot harder than that if they want to beat me!"

The skeleton tried to return her smile, but doubted it was convincing. Silently, he turned his gaze back in the direction the pair had come.

The few nearby trees had been reduced to splinters, and half the battlefield was nothing more than a crater of upturned earth and charred rocks. Smoke obscured his view, but the magicians had re-positioned themselves several hundred feet away on a small plateau overlooking the clearing. The woman had somehow predicted Sans' attack and moved her ally out of harm's way, putting him in the perfect position to blast them all sky high. If not for Undyne's quick reaction…

But now Sans' theory was confirmed. The man hadn't been the one opening the shortcuts for his personal use, or preventing Sans from utilizing them himself. It had been this woman, maintaining a safe distance and providing her companion with support from afar. It seemed that the male was only capable of manipulating electrical charges, but the female's abilities were frighteningly similar to Sans' own. He could feel it.

"Well, I don't suppose you have a plan?" Sans ventured.

The warrior wiped her chin with the back of her hand, a spear once again materializing in her other fist. "Something's not right with the witch in red." She spat. "Something about the way she keeps countering my attacks…" She trailed off, biting her lip as she tried to verbalize the same thing Sans had been puzzling over previously. Apparently giving up, she rose to her feet and straightened her back defiantly. "Well, sitting here isn't going to fix anything. I'm going back in." She took a step, then paused, looking down at Sans. "What are you going to do?"

Sans' smile managed to reach his eyes this time. It seemed Undyne no longer felt the need to tell him to run and hide anymore. "Can you give me a bit of time with the woman? Her attacks are somehow familiar to me, I just need to figure out why."

Taking his hand and wrenching him to his feet, the fish monster gave Sans a clap on the back. "You got it buddy. But if you die, I'm gonna kill you! Got it?" Her grin widened to show her teeth once more.

His signature grin returned. "Sounds fair."

And with that, the red head took off at a sprint toward the two magicians. Sans quickened his pace to a brisk jog, his thoughts going at a mile a minute as he attempted to strategize.

"SANS!"

His brother's voice was uncharacteristically sharp, commanding his attention.

Sans came to a sudden halt, turning his head in Papyrus' direction. Judging by the small, undisturbed area that him and the kid occupied, the taller skeleton had obviously used a shield to protect them from the blast. Sans opened his mouth to dismiss his brother once more, but then thought better of it. "What is it Pap?"

"I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS." His brother looked doubtfully at the bundle in his arms, his jaw set in a worried frown. "BUT THE HUMAN SAYS THAT THE FEMALE MAGICIAN…"

Every second that ticked by was like torture, Sans needed to get back out there and help Undyne. "She's what?" He pressed.

Papyrus turned his gaze back to his brother, concern and confusion flashing across his eyes. "THE HUMAN SAYS SHE'S…LOADING SAVE FILES?"


End file.
